President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo is still awaiting reports from his ministers and input from the General Elections Commission (KPU), the House of Representatives and the public before making his final decision on uncontested elections in several regions where incumbents are running unchallenged.

The KPU has decided to postpone elections in at least six regions to February 2017 unless the President issues a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) that changes the current Regional Elections Law.

'€œThe issue is still being discussed by technical ministries, in this regard the Home Ministry and the Law and Human Rights Ministry, under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs. We at the Cabinet and State Secretariat are still waiting for the result. I believe it can be discussed by the President tomorrow,'€ State Secretary Pratikno said on Monday.

'€œIt is important that the constitutional rights of the people and the candiates are protected. It shouldn'€™t be that simply because of the presence of a strong politician, no one dares to compete against him or her, meaning other people lose their constitutional right to be elected,'€ said the former rector of Gadjah Mada University.

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said his office was still preparing several options to deal with regional elections that only had single tickets, including a mechanism for a protest vote or even implementing an interim appointment.

'€œWell, as soon as possible we will prepare an official report to be submitted to the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs and the President after we receive official data from the KPU. Any decision needs be discussed first,'€ Tjahjo said in a message on Monday afternoon.

According to preliminary KPU data on Monday evening there are six regions, comprising four regencies and two municipalities, which have only one candidate pair running for election. The four regencies are Tasikmalaya in West Java, Blitar and Pacitan in East Java and North Central Timor in East Nusa Tenggara. The two cities are Samarinda in East Kalimantan, Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara and Surabaya in East Java

KPU commissioner Arief Budiman said that elections in those six regions would almost certainly be postponed.

'€œUnless there is Perppu to change the law, we will take a different measure,'€ Arief noted.

Arief argued that the delay was mandated by Law No. 8/2015 on regional elections and the KPU had no power to a change a law as it was an executive agency and not a legislative body or the government.

Constitution and Democracy (CoDe) Initiative Chairman Veri Junaidi shared the position of the KPU and the government.

'€œWe don'€™t see any urgent need to issue a Perppu. Let the processes that have been ongoing proceed undisrupted. After the elections take place, the government and legislators can then change the law by learning from the current situation,'€ Veri said.

He added that now was a good time for both government and lawmakers to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the current Regional Elections Law to make revisions next year.

Veri added that issuing a Perppu would entail more expense in the drafting and validation of the regulation. (rbk)

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